"The Passion" -New Mel Gibson movie

[Guest ShooterJay]

A movie that's gotten a lot of negative pub lately is "The Passion," directed, produced, and personally funded by Mel Gibson (although he won't be appearing in the film).

 

The movie is basically a *very* graphic retelling of the original Gospels, complete with the condemnation, torture and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The original Gospels, of course, heavily implicate (and in some cases outright blame) the Jews for the the death of Jesus, which is the original cause for 2000 years of violent anti-Semitism. With anti-Semitic feelings on the rise throughout Europe, there is feeling that the film will reignite the deicide charges against the Jewish people and lead to a new wave of violence.

 

For some odd reason, the film will be entirely in Aramaic or Latin, with no subtitles.

 

Here's a couple of links, one from O'Reilly and another from abc7.com

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,75617,00.html

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/030903_nw_gibson.html

 

I'm pretty upset about this, because I'm a very observant Jew and shit like this makes my blood boil, but I'm curious to see what you think.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

This is definitley a big risk on Gibson's part. I would never make a movie about the crufixicition or the resurrection. But if Gibson wants to, I think he'll do a good job.

 

Any word who's playing Jesus.

[Guest Mik at Cornell]

James Cavaziel from Frequency amongst others.

 

Monica Belluci from the next two Matrix (Matrices??) and Tears from the Sun is playing Mary Magdalan.

 

Big F'n Risk on Gibson's part in my opinion. He's very religious so I can see it for some reason, but it's a topic I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, especially if I were in his position.

[Guest El Satanico]

They should've got Sabastian Bach...

[Guest Lethargic]

Is it really that big of a risk when most likely hardly anybody will see it?

[Guest El Satanico]

Yes...word will get out even to those who may never see it.

 

People get bitchy about Religion so you know Religous leaders will start giving it free advertising.

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

Just look at the Last Temptation of Christ. Nobody saw it, but everybody bitched about it.

[Guest areacode212]

A movie that's gotten a lot of negative pub lately is "The Passion," directed, produced, and personally funded by Mel Gibson (although he won't be appearing in the film).

 

The movie is basically a *very* graphic retelling of the original Gospels, complete with the condemnation, torture and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The original Gospels, of course, heavily implicate (and in some cases outright blame) the Jews for the the death of Jesus, which is the original cause for 2000 years of violent anti-Semitism. With anti-Semitic feelings on the rise throughout Europe, there is feeling that the film will reignite the deicide charges against the Jewish people and lead to a new wave of violence.

 

For some odd reason, the film will be entirely in Aramaic or Latin, with no subtitles.

 

Here's a couple of links, one from O'Reilly and another from abc7.com

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,75617,00.html

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/030903_nw_gibson.html

 

I'm pretty upset about this, because I'm a very observant Jew and shit like this makes my blood boil, but I'm curious to see what you think.

There was an article about this in the NY Times Magazine a few weeks ago. I'd post it here, but you have to pay for it on their site and my Lexis/Nexis account is broken.

 

But Snopes has an interesting page about it here:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/gibson.php

 

AFAIK, it's still too early to tell exactly how The Passion will approach the "Jews are responsible for Christ's death" subject. Mel Gibson has only given vague statements about it so far. As far as how this will affect Jewish/Christian relations--at the most, I think we'll hear a lot of bitching. I don't really see a "wave of violence" against Jews. At one time, maybe, but I think in this day & age, especially in the Western world, where most of this movie's audience lives, the "Jews killed Christ" argument doesn't exactly stir people's passions anymore (so to speak). It happened 2000 years ago...most people have gotten over it. Besides, if you believe scripture, he was *supposed* to die. That's the whole point.

 

Most people won't even see the movie, not even for Monica Bellucci.

[Guest Lethargic]

The only thing about this movie that's a risk is the language. It's not a threat to Gibson's acting career in the least. He'll be able to make Lethal Weapon movies till he dies. But I think he's really going out on a limb with his directing side by making such a silly and pretenious movie. It's not a risk due to people getting mad at what's in it. That's never hurt anybody. Protests only help box office. Bad publicity is still publicity. But I think a lot of people are gonna look at this movie, flimed in a dead language, without subtitles and just laugh at the guy in a "who the hell does this guy think he is?" vein. "What gives this asshole the right to make this? What Women Want, Chicken Run?" I can see the critics' watering mouths already.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Anyone who actually read the Bible would see that even Jesus didn't outright comdemn the Jews for nailing him on the cross.

 

Yet years of anti-semitism (sp?) come about because people are too lazy to keep reading.

[Guest SP-1]

It wasn't even the Jews outright. Biblically, the Sanhedrin maneuvered the Roman government and riled the people against Jesus. The Jewish leadership, which was also political and financially powerful, was most at fault. But not the Jewish people themselves. Any Christian that hates, first of all, is missing the message of the Gospel in the first place. And second, apparently never figured out that Jesus was a Jew himself insofar as his human side.

 

I'm looking forward to the movie. Idiots will be idiots and bitch for unfounded and largely ignorant reasons whether or not there's a feature film out there.